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British and Irish Lions to play 10 matches on 2017 New Zealand tour

Image: The British and Irish Lions celebrate victory over Australia in 2013

The British and Irish Lions will take on New Zealand twice in Auckland's Eden Park on a 10-match tour of New Zealand in 2017.

As well as three Test matches against the All Blacks, the tourists will face all five of New Zealand's Super Rugby sides and a New Zealand Maori XV.

The five-week trip will open against a provincial union side in Whangarei on June 3, 2017, just over four years on from their tour of Australia, which ended in a 2-1 Test series victory for the Lions.

Auckland will host the first Test on June 24, before the Lions and All Blacks meet in Wellington seven days later and then return to Eden Park for a July 8 finale.

Six games are scheduled before the first Test, including against Super Rugby opponents the Blues, Crusaders, Highlanders and Chiefs, with all midweek fixtures taking place on a Tuesday, apart from a Wednesday appointment with the Blues.

Image: But their last visit to New Zealand 10 years ago was not much of a success

The Lions have lost four successive Test series against New Zealand, including a 3-0 whitewash under the direction of World Cup-winning England coach Sir Clive Woodward on their last visit 10 years ago.

They have not beaten the All Blacks in a Test series since 1971, when a John Dawes-captained Lions squad won 2-1, with one draw.

2017 British and Irish Lions tour fixtures:

June 3 - Provincial Union team (Toll Stadium, Whangarei)

June 7 - Auckland Blues (Eden Park, Auckland)

June 10 - Canterbury Crusaders (AMI Stadium, Christchurch)

June 13 - Otago Highlanders (Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin)

June 17 - NZ Maori (International Stadium, Rotorua)

June 20 - Waikato Chiefs (Waikato Stadium, Hamilton)

June 24 - New Zealand (first Test, Eden Park, Auckland)

June 27 - Wellington Hurricanes (Westpac Stadium, Wellington)

July 1 - New Zealand (second Test, Westpac Stadium, Wellington)

July 8 - New Zealand (third Test, Eden Park, Auckland)

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